Fedora and "Red Hat Enterprise Linux"

[Leigh Cantrell Day]

I would take a much lighter approach.  Keep in mind that journalists 
have a lot on their plates, often 'acquiring' new beats and keeping 
track of many companies and many technologies.  You can't expect them to 
always be subject matter experts. Also, we will want to go back to this 
journalist.  Maintaining a positive, mutually respectful relationship is 
key.

Suggestions, inline.  Take 'em or leave 'em.


> ------------------------
> 
> I just read this article and was disappointed to discover that you
> seem to have severely mis-represented the Fedora Project.

Replace with, "Just wanted to introduce myself and my role/connection 
with Fedora..."  and then an offer to talk personally about Fedora and 
this article in particular.  No journalist wants to hear that they've 
'severely misrepresented' anything.

  If I can
> take a few moments of your time, I'd like to advise you of the
> specific points in the story where you've been mistaken, 

replace mistaken w/ inaccurate, take out 'you've' as this makes it too 
personal.

and also to
> invite you to start a dialogue with the Fedora Project by contacting
> us on press AT fedoraproject DOT   org to avoid making the same in the
> future.
> 
> "...Red Hat has a preview of an upcoming Fedora Development release,
> Version 9..."
> 
> Firstly, Fedora is not a Red Hat product but a community maintained
> distribution of which the majority of packages (over 60%) are
> maintained by non-Red Hat employees.

Change to, "Although Fedora is a project sponsored by Red Hat, I would 
like to clarify that it is a community maintained distribution..."



  Secondly, Fedora is not a
> development release in anyway, but a stable system that showcases the
> latest free and open source software.

Change to, "As you know, Fedora includes the most innovative 
technologies.  However it's not actually a development release, we take 
great care in testing, many eyes of the community, etc. etc. etc..."

  It's true to say, on the other
> hand, that Fedora is an innovative distribution that leads the way in
> the adoption and development of a lot of new technologies, feeding
> back all improvements and changes we make up-stream for the benefit of
> all.
> 
> "Fedora 8 is the currently available development release, which got
> underway in April 2007 and which was launched last November. A lot of
> the code that was hammered out in that Fedora 8 development release is
> winding its way toward Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2"
> 
> Again, any final release of Fedora such as version 8 is not a
> development release. A lot of the code from that release is making
> it's way into RHEL 5.2, but you know what else, it's making it's way
> into all other GNU/Linux distributions too including Ubuntu, Debian
> and openSUSE. This is because we push our developments to the upstream
> communities, which other distributions then base their own work
> around.
> 
> "Remember, the Fedora 9 preview is just that--a preview--and is not
> even to be considered beta code yet and hence is not appropriate for
> anything close to production environments."
> 
> I feel like I'm repeating myself, 

Delete.

but Fedora 9 will not be a
> development release, and you're mis-representing the facts by
> suggesting that the preview release is not even to be considered beta
> software. 

Delete.

The preview release is very close to what the final release
> will be, and is where a huge number of bugs will be squashed to make
> sure that the final release is on a par in terms of stability as well
> as features with any other distribution.


Add: "I, along with others on the Fedora team, look forward to working 
with you on future stories.  Would love to set up a call with you to 
discuss this particular piece.  We are having FUDCon during the Summit 
in June, would be great for you to come see a microcosm of the community 
in action."


leigh